A few months ago, we talked about “mindful eating”. This month we’re going to shift our focus on an eating style similar to mindful eating – intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is an eating style that promotes a healthy attitude toward food and body image. While intuitive eating does include principles similar to mindful eating, intuitive eating goes past mindful eating. As a reminder, mindful eating is based on the principles of being mindful throughout the entire eating experience. For example, you are aware of your hunger and your fullness; you are also aware of your food – where it comes from and how it tastes, smells, and feels.

The 10 principles of intuitive eating are:

1. Reject the diet mentality.

2. Honor your hunger.

3. Make peace with food.

4. Challenge the food police.

5. Respect your fullness.

6. Discover the satisfaction factor.

7. Honor your feelings without using food.

8. Respect your body.

9. Exercise – feel the difference.

10. Honor your health.

Intuitive eating takes mindful eating a step further by including principles that promote overall health, especially as it concerns your body weight, body composition, and body image. Intuitive eating is not something that comes naturally to many adults; you may think of this as the way a child eats. He eats when he’s hungry, and stops when he’s full. He doesn’t speak negatively about the foods he eats or his body, but instead enjoys them and moves on. For many adults, especially those who have tried every diet on the planet, intuitive eating is a difficult process. But if you focus on one principle at a time, you learn more about yourself while building a healthy relationship with food. The end of the year is a great time to pick one of these principles and begin working it into your wellness plan.

In addition to building that healthy relationship with food, use the end of the year to celebrate you and your success. Using Texins’ 4 pillars approach, you can celebrate all season long and refill your emotional/ wellness bucket.

Mindset:

1. Reflect on your past year and make a list of things you’re grateful for.